Printing-press.



W. H. SMITH. PRINTING PRESS} IAPPLICAUON F ILED MAR. 30. 1914.

Patnted Dem 18,1917.

3 $HEETS-SHEET i.

W. H. SMITH.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1914.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917;

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F I a w. H. SMITH.

PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED MAR- 30. 1914.

' Patented Dec. 18, 191? 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- l vmeooeo UNITED srarns PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H. SMITH, OF NILES, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HARRIS AUTOMATIC PRESS COMPANY, OF NILES, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PRINTING-PRESS.

i I do hereby declare the following to be-a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled n the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to provide improved means for registering stockfed to a printing press; and the 1s accomplished, in part, by holding a sheet at a point near its forward end while such end is moved to register by means traveling w1th the printing couple, and also, in part, by other means which engages the side of the sheet while so held.

.In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, showing the end of an impression cylinder, with parts in section. Fig. 2 is'aplan view showing my present improvements with parts omitted. 3 is a side elevation of the arrangement shown in'Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, with parts broken away, showing the connection between the side register and its adjusting means. Fig. 5. shows one of the guides in plan and side elevation. Fig. 6

shows portions of a gripper and a guide holder. Fig. 7 shows the forward end of the feed-table, stops and a portion of the cylinder.

I have shown my present invention in con nection with a bed and cylinder press,-but the invention is not confined toa press of this particular type, which latter is shown merely by way of illustration, and in this connection it should be noted that the invention is alike applicable to presses having cylinders which oscillate as well as to.- those which both oscillate and reciprocate. The advantages of the invention may be obtained in printing presse having various forms of printing couples.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates I an impress on cylinder which is designed to oscillate in a known way, and 2 the bed which is designed to travel back and forth in timed relation to the cylinder. The latter carries a gripper shaft2 upon-which are mounted grippers 3 and guide-holders 4.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patnted Dec, 18, 19-17, Application filed March 30, 1914. Seria1 No.8 28,352. i i

' The guides 5 are adjustably mounted on the? which they extend. 'Although I have shown but two guides (Fig. 2) yet it is manifest that anydesired number may be employed. The guide-holders are preferably arranged adjacent to the grippers and so connected thereto as to be operated in conjunction therewith when turned to release a sheet, and likewlse to move with the grippers when they. are adjusted longitudinally of the gripper shaft. Any suitable means may be employed for accomplishing this purpose. As shown in Fig. 6 a pin 7 projecting laterally from a gripper may extend transversely of and engage with a lug 8 of the guide-holder, and by bending such pin 7 so as to engage the side of the guide-holder the latter will be caused to travel with its respective gripper as it is adjusted on shaft 2. When the grippers are raised beyond a certain distance the guide-supports 4 are likewise raised whenthe pins 7 thereof engage the lugs 8. I have also shown (Fig. 5) the guides 5 as having thin projections 9 for extending over the im-- pression cylinder and upon which the stock. is designed to lie.

Above the impression cylinder I provide forward stops 10 which are designed to arrest stock as it is fed to position over the feed table 10*, the manner of feeding the stock being immaterial. These stops 10 are carried by brackets -11 mounted adjustably on a shaft 12 suitably supported at its ends in sides 13 of the feeder frame, and such stops are normally held in the vertical position indicated in Fig. 1, but are moved out of the way, to permit. the passage of a sheet. While' any suitable 'or preferred means may be employed for accomplishing this result, the particular means shown comprises a cam 14 on a cam shaft 15 of the press, which cam engages a roller carried 10- by push rod 16 which'when moved upwardly by the cam engages a lever 17 fulcrumed on a tie rod 18, the other end of said lever being suitably connected to a lever 19 fast on shaft 12. As cam 14 permits push rod 16 to lower, the stops 10 are returned to their normal position through the instrumentality of aspring 20 connected to the upper arm of lever 19 and to a fixed bracket 21 which carries a set screw 22 for the purpose of regulating the point at which theforward edge of a sheet is to be arrested in each operation.

At the forward end of the feed-table is a groove 25 extending transversely thereof. This groove is shown in the form of a concave in the upper face of a casting 26, but the groove may be of any desired form, and may be Wholly omitted. been fed down over the feed-table and arrested by stops 10, it is the purpose of my invention to sidetregister the sheet and to firmly hold it as against either forward or rearward movement, and while the means employed for accomplishing this latter re- 29 sult may be widely varied, I prefer to use a pressure roller 27 by which the sheet may be firmly held to the feed-table, being forced down into groove 25, with sufficient pressure to hold it from moving forward or backward. The roller 27 is carried by two arms 28 supported by a crossshaft 29 which may be periodically operated by any suitable means to raise and lower the pressure roller. For accomplishing this purpose I have 30 shown a push rod 30 for engaging an arm 31 of shaft 29, said push rod at its lower end having a roller which travels on the periphery of a cam 32 fast-on cam shaft 15. This cam 32 has two. raised portions-of dif- 35 ferent radii and varying in length for gradating the pressure as well as changing the position of the pressure roller, thereby insuring sufficient pressure on the sheet to pinch and hold it in groove 25, or against the flat face of casting 26 if the groove is omitted. The raised portions of the cam are so arranged that when the pressure roller is first lowered it exerts comparatively little pressure on the sheet, and according to my present invention while so held may be moved to secure the necessary side register, and thereafter an increased pressure applied through the roller will prevent forward or rearward bodily movement of the sheet. When the push rod 30 is allowed to lower the pressure roller is raised by a spring 35 connected to arm 31, as shown'in Fig. 3.

To insure the proper positioning of the forward end of the sheet. I preferably employ supports 36 and holding fingers 37, the former projecting forwardly from a casting 38 which is adjustably carried by casting 26, as shown in Fig. 1, while fin- 50 gers 37 depend from collars 39 adjustable on a tie rod 40 extending transversely of the machine. The outer or lower extremities of finger 37 are preferably made to conform to the curvature of the cylinder and to lie in 55 close proximity to stops 10 so as to force a After a sheet has" marinas sheet down at its forward edge against supports 36 while it is bearing against and being properly alined relatively to said stops.

In Fig. 7 I'have shown the sheet 'as lying fiat, while in Fig. 1 it is shown as bent or corrugated by the pressure roller.

When the sheet is held firmly by the pressure roller, as against forward or rearward movement, the forward stops 10 are moved out of the way, and just before the comple- 75 tion of the reverse travel of the impression cylinder, and while the sheet is so held the guides 5 of the impression cylinder engage the front edge of the sheet and force rearward that portion thereof forward of the 81) point at which it is held by the pressure roller, causing the sheet to buckle, as shown in Fig. 1, and in so pushing back and buckling the forward end of the sheet perfect register and alinement with the guides is 85 insured. The grippers will then close and hold the sheet against the impression cylinder, and as the latter starts forward the pressure roller will be raised to release the sheet.

As before stated, the pressure imparted to the pressure roller .by the raised portions of cam 32 is gradated, and one of the purposes, as before intimated, of this arrangement is to effect the side register of the sheet while it is held by the pressure roller, but before the applied pressure is so great as to preclude. the possibility of bodily moving the sheet in any direction. While the construction and arrangement of the means 00 for effecting such side register may be widely varied, yet I prefer to use a plate 45 depending from tie rod 40 and capable of being moved longitudinally thereof transversely of the machine. According to the form shown this plate 45 is of inverted U-shape, having two spaced apart fingers 46 and 47 which span the pressure roller. The forward finger, 46, at its lower edge intersects the plane of the forward edge of 1110 casting 26, and the latter, immediately in g the rear of groove 25 and parallel therewith,

has a second but much narrower groove 48. The lower edge of finger 47 is designed to extend into groove 48, and hence both fingers, 46 and 47, by intersecting the plane of the sheet will engage the edge'thereof when the plate 45 is moved transversely of the machine and in' this way effect the necessary side register. The means for adjusting and the means for operating the side register plate may be widely varied. I have shown this plate (Fig. 4) attached to a sleeve 50 fitted on tie rod 40, which latter is hollow, and within it is a nut or bushing p I 51 to which the sleeve is connected by a screw or stud 52 which projects through a longitudinal slot 53 in the tie rod of suflicient length to allow pf the necessary travel and the proper adjustment of the side regis- 55 the sheet, and as the guides thereof-enposition of the side registering plate may be adjusted, the travel of the nut 51 caus- Iing sleeve 50 to move with it. Such ad- (not shown) if deemed necessary.

means of a spring 75 the grippers are justment may be effected while the machine is in operation. While the means for shifting rod 54 may be widely varied, for this purpose I have shown the knurled collar 55 formed with a recess'into which extends the yoke end of a bell-crank lever 60, which operating the grippers. I have shown for this purpose an arm on one end of the' gripper shaft 2, which arm carries a roller 71 for riding on a cam 72 on the u per end of the link-portion of a push rod 73 which is operated by a cam 74 on shaft 15. In the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 the roller 71 has just cleared cam 72, and this cam is now ready forthe downward move ment, which may be effected by a spring caused to close as soon as released by cam 72. When necessary the grippers may be thrown entirely back'to allow the packing or draw-sheet to be removed. a

In practice, when a sheet is fed into position its forward edge is arrested by stops 10, and after being so arrested ressure roller 27 is caused to bear thereon su ciently to slightly crimp or corrugate the sheet by bending it into the forward groove 25, and thereupon, the parts being properly timed, the side registering device is moved transversely of the feedtable, and the two spaced apart fingers thereof will engage'the edge of the sheet in front and rear of the pressure-roller and effect the necessary lateral movement for proper register. Thereupon additional pressure w1ll be imparted through the pressure roller and the sheet I will be heldfirmlyas against movement forward or,rearward .v By this time the impression cvlinder 1s about ready to receive gage the forward edge of the sheet as they are moving in the reverse direction to the line of sheet travel, they will cause that portion of the sheet forward ofthe pressure roller to buckle, thereby insuring proper alinement with the cylinder guides. As

this is accomplished the grippers will close and hold the sheet against the impression cylinder and the pressure roller will be permit it to travel forwardly with the impression cylinder.

I have neither shown nor described means for driving the bed nor means for raising and lowering the impression cylinder, since various means, well known in the art, may be employed for these purposes. It willbe manifest to persons skilled in the art that the advantages of the present invention may be obtained by other means than that shown and described, and hence my invention is not restricted in this respect nor to the adaptation of the invention to a bed and cylinder machine.

I claim as my invention:

1. A printing press having a printing couple, traveling guides for registering stock on one member of the couple, means for holding a sheet against bodily movement in either direction while said guides are moving the forward edge of the sheet in a reverse direction to the sheet-travel to cause' the sheet to aline therewith, and means for conveying the sheet after being so alined. 2. In a printing press having a printing couple, means for holding a sheet against bodily movement in either direction, guides on one of the members of the printing couple for engaging and movin rearward the forward'edge of the sheet While so held, and

meansfor holding the sheet to such member guides carried by said cylinder and fixed against circumferential movement, thereon,.

grippers also carried by said cylinder, means for holding'a sheet against bodily movement while the forward edge thereof is being engaged by said guides and moved rearwardly thereby, and means for closing the grippers. v

l 5. In a printing press having a cylinder, means for holding a sheet against bodily movement, guides'mounted' on said cylinder and carried thereby for engaging and moving rearwardly the forwardf-edge of the sheetwhile'so held, said guides being fixed with respect to said cylinder "at (the time of engaging said sheet, and grippers'also carried by "the cylinder for taking the sheet after it has been engaged and moved rearwardiyl by the guides.

'raised to release its hold on the sheetand combination with a printing press having an oscillating cylinder, guides and grippers carried by said cylinder, and means for firmly holding a sheet in po sition to be er gaged at its forward edge by said guides on the return movement of the cylinder, said means holding such sheet against bodily movement as the forward portion of the sheet is moved rearwardly by the guides.

7. In a printing press, means for holding a sheet near its forward end, means for engaging the sheet while so held to efiect the side register thereof, traveling guides for engaging and moving rearwardly the-forward end of the sheet while held by said holding means, and means for removing such sheet when released by said holding means.

8. In a printing press, means for holding a sheet near its forward end, means for. en-

gaging the sheet while so held to efiect the side register thereof, traveling guides for engaging and moving rearwardly the forward end of the sheet while held by said holding means,.and grippers adjacent to said guides for removing such sheet when released by said holding means. 9. A printing press having a feed table, means for curving a portion of a sheet while on said feed table, means for side registering the sheet when so curved, and traveling guides for engaging and movlng rearwardly the forward end of the sheet to cause it to aline therewith.

10. A printing press having a feed table, a pressure roller for engaging and holding a sheet against said feed table, a side registerin device for engaging the sheet while so he d, and a printing couple having guides 40 and grippers, said guides being designed to engage and move rearwardly the forward edge of the sheet to cause it to aline therewith.

11. A printing press having a feed table, a pressure roller for engaging and holding a sheet against said feed table, a side registering device for engaging the sheet while so held, and a printing couple having an oscillating cylinder provided with grippers and guides said guides being designed to engage and move. rearwardly the forward edge of the sheet to cause it to aline therewith.

12. A printin press having afeed table, stops against w ich a sheet is designed to be fed, means for removing said stops, a pressure roller for engaging the sheet and holding it against said feed table, a side registering device for engaging the sheet while so held, a printing couple having stops nea eee for engaging and moving rearwardly the gagin and moving rearwardly the forward end of the sheet while so held and grippers for removing the sheet.

14. A printing press having a feed table formed with a transverse groove, a pressure roller for forcing a sheet into said groove,

means for placing a gradated pressure on said sheet through said roller, means for side registering the sheet, and. a printing couple having stops forengaging and moving rearwardly the forward end of the sheet while so held and grippers for removing the sheet. I

15. A printing press having a feed table formed with a transverse groove, a pressure roller for holding a sheet against said feed table adjacent to said groove, aside registering device extending into said groove, means for actuating said device, and a printing couple having guides for engaging and moving rearwardly the forward end of the sheet and grippers for removing the sheet.

16. A printing press having a feed table formed with two transverse grooves, a pressure roller for forcing a sheet into one of said grooves, means for placing a gradated pressure on said sheet through said roller, a side registering device having a member 1 extending into the other of said grooves,

means for actuating said device, and a printing couple having stops for engaging and moving rearwardly the forward end of the sheet and grippers for removing the sheet.

17. A side registering device comprising a vertically-disposed membeffor engaging the side edge ofa sheet, a stationary hollow rod having a longitudinal slot, a longitudinally-movable rod in said hollow rod having a threaded portion, a sleeve on said hollow rod and to which said member is connected a nut engaging said threaded portion, and a connecting element between said nut and said sleeve extended through said slot.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

warren H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

C. G. Pm'rc, A. D. L001. 

